Post by homespungirl on Apr 7, 2011 20:44:10 GMT -5
Ok, so I am still watching for another milk girl and I have decided a heifer is fine too if I cant get a cow in milk. So, right now my milker is a Jersey. I have a Jersey and Holstein mix heifer (and I HOPE she breeds, she was probed as a breeder-- or so im told -- at the sale where they fellow bought her. you have to wonder though) anyway, I found a couple of heifers I am interested in.
These two are both milk and beef mixes. I like that because I want to feed grass as much as possible -- really try not to have to supplement with much feed.
This guy selling them buys calves from four local dairys and bottle feeds them (on MR, yuck). These two I made very clear with him were not twins. His heard looked OK... It was some year to two year old calves and I thought most of them looked a bit rough and some of them had some scale on their face, patches of fur missing. It looked kind of like the rain rot horses can get on their backs. I asked him about it and he said it was from a parasite in the dirt but that it would dissapear after spring. He said he hasnt wormed these yet because he doesnt do that until they are two. He did have one older cow in there, and she looked great. They were all filled out and on plenty of good pasture, just their coats looked rough and a few had those patches. I though maybe because they were bottle babies they didnt look as good?
But the two I liked were nice looking.
The first is a trim little black Holstein and Angus mix. She seems mild tempered and is very sweet looking. She is eighteen months. Her coat looks a bit rough to me, and on her face I thought there might be a teeny tiny bit of scale.
The second is a Brown Swiss and SOMETHING ELSE?? The fellow did not know the father, though he saw the brown swiss mother when he took the calf. This girl is massive. I have never seen such thick legs. She is built like a rock. Very beefy looking. She seemed to have a really nice personality. She looked completely healthy but I saw some "tears" in her eyes. Her eye skin is light and I wondered if it was from flies. they are just getting bad here. Also, could someone help me with this? This cow had more loose skin than cows I am used to and I noticed her vaginal area looked really prominant. Is that just how cows with more loose skin look? She is a heifer, never exposed to a bull, so I cant imagine she could have any damage there. Just wondered.
Ok, sorry I didnt have my camera with me. Please let me know any thoughts. The fellow also offered to worm and vaccinate them if I took them.
How can I be sure I am safe bringing a new cow such as this in with my cows?
Thanks everybody!
These two are both milk and beef mixes. I like that because I want to feed grass as much as possible -- really try not to have to supplement with much feed.
This guy selling them buys calves from four local dairys and bottle feeds them (on MR, yuck). These two I made very clear with him were not twins. His heard looked OK... It was some year to two year old calves and I thought most of them looked a bit rough and some of them had some scale on their face, patches of fur missing. It looked kind of like the rain rot horses can get on their backs. I asked him about it and he said it was from a parasite in the dirt but that it would dissapear after spring. He said he hasnt wormed these yet because he doesnt do that until they are two. He did have one older cow in there, and she looked great. They were all filled out and on plenty of good pasture, just their coats looked rough and a few had those patches. I though maybe because they were bottle babies they didnt look as good?
But the two I liked were nice looking.
The first is a trim little black Holstein and Angus mix. She seems mild tempered and is very sweet looking. She is eighteen months. Her coat looks a bit rough to me, and on her face I thought there might be a teeny tiny bit of scale.
The second is a Brown Swiss and SOMETHING ELSE?? The fellow did not know the father, though he saw the brown swiss mother when he took the calf. This girl is massive. I have never seen such thick legs. She is built like a rock. Very beefy looking. She seemed to have a really nice personality. She looked completely healthy but I saw some "tears" in her eyes. Her eye skin is light and I wondered if it was from flies. they are just getting bad here. Also, could someone help me with this? This cow had more loose skin than cows I am used to and I noticed her vaginal area looked really prominant. Is that just how cows with more loose skin look? She is a heifer, never exposed to a bull, so I cant imagine she could have any damage there. Just wondered.
Ok, sorry I didnt have my camera with me. Please let me know any thoughts. The fellow also offered to worm and vaccinate them if I took them.
How can I be sure I am safe bringing a new cow such as this in with my cows?
Thanks everybody!